Luiren
Luiren, land the of the haiflings, is both peaceful and bustling. Though halflings can be found in every country in Faerûn, all their ancestors originally migrated from Luiren. Sometimes known as Small Folk, halflings actually prefer the term hin, the name they call themselves. But they don't hold the use of other names against visitors who don't know any better. They're happy enough to welcome newcomers with a smile and a place to stay - though that lodging might be a half-sized stable or barn. Races and Cultures Though the hin can be found in almost every corner of Faerûn, they are considered visitors everywhere in the world except here. In the cities of the humans, halflings areoften relegated to ethnic neighborhoods. In Luiren, however, the hin rule, and their culture reflects that fact. Few members of the other races stay in Luiren long - not because they are inherently unwelcome, but simply because they don't fit in - both literally and figuratively. The three halflings subraces all look the same, though their manner of dress tends to differentiate them from one another. The typical hin stands about 3 feet taIl and weighs between 30 and 40 pounds. She has dark brown or black eyes, ruddy skin, and straight, black hair. Once in a while, however, a child is born with fairer skin and curly brown or red-brown hair. Such a feature is always considered a good portent, and the hin say that such a child is "blessed by Brandobaris." Society The halflings of Luiren live a happy-go-lucky lifestyle that suits them well but causes some misunderstandings with other races. Teamwork is a major component of hin society, and just about every halfling worth his salt pitches in to help with whatever community project is at hand. The Small Folk have an innate understanding of the fact that no individual can get much done without cooperation from his fellows. One unique aspect of Luiren's culture is the halflings' occasional desire to uproot themselves and relocate. A family might suddenly decide to move to another part of the same town, or even to a different city. Families often exchange the intensity of life in an urban center for the rural quiet of farm life, or vice versa. Such a relocation can occur several times in a halfling's life, and someone moves at least once per tenday in any sizable community. When a halfling moves, all his possessions are left behind - furniture, food, clothing, and even his job. All the neighbors pitch in to throw a special kind of going-away party, wherein everyone helps clean up the property to get it ready for the next tenants. The house does not stay empty for long, because whenever a hin family moves away, another soon arrives. At any given time, a certain percentage of the abodes in any locale are vacant and waiting for new occupaiits. Families visiting a town for the first time might spend a day or two checking out the vacancies before deciding which place (and furniture, and clothing, and job) are right.for them. Outsiders find this behavior more than a little odd, but to the hin, it's as natural as a rainbow after rain. Halflings (Ghostwise) Very few ghostwise halflings still dwell in Luiren, and those who do live deep in the Lluirwood. These hin are rarely seen by visitors. Halflings (Lightfoot) Though lightfoot halflings call Luiren home, they constitute only a small minority there because most of them departed the Lluirwood right after the Ghostwars. According to the tales passed down from parents to children, the lightfoots were unwilling to remain in close proximity to the sites of the massacres that had occurred during that conflict. Those few who stayed behind had little choice but to settle in with the stronghearts, trading in their nomadic ways for more sedentary lifestyles. Lightfoot halflings are similar in almost every physical respect to their strongheart cousins. In fact, the only discernible difference between the two subraces is attitude. Lightfoot halflings tend to be jovial, almost carefree individuals, and their nomadic nature has never completely left them. In fact, the habit of frequent relocation within Luiren (see Life and Society, below) was instituted by the lightfoots to assuage their wanderlust without actually leaving their homeland, though this practice was later adopted by the stronghearts as well. Lightfoots immensely enjoy pets, and the typical lightfoot family keeps a large hound of some sort as both companion and protector. Lightfoots might not be quite as stodgy and dour as their strongheart cousins, but both groups have learned that the only way to convince the tall people to leave them alone is to fight back. The lightfoots used to just run away, but now they stand shoulder to shoulder with their strongheart neighbors when necessary. Halflings (Strongheart) Of the three subraces of halflings native to Faerûn, the stronghearts are the most closely tied to Luiren, and the vast majority of them still reside in their native land. It was the stronghearts who first experienced the depradations of the ghostwise tribe during the Hin Ghostwars, and the stronghearts were the ones who insisted on seeing that grisly work all the way to its conclusion (see History of Luiren, below). After the Hin Ghostwars, the strongheart halflings chose to turn away from their previously nomadic existence, clearing the forest and settling the land now known as Luiren. Though hot quite as dour and reserved as ghostwise halflings, the stronghearts are the most down-to-earth and practical of the three subraces. Whereas the lightfoots have never completely shaken off their desire for travel, most stronghearts are content to work their land, share their goods, and enjoy a pleasant evening in front of a hearth with a filled pipe. At the same time, the stronghearts have adapted well to the lightfoots' concept of a partially nomadic existence, and they occasionally pack up and shift to new locations (and as often as not new careers) without undue thought. The strongheart tribe has earned its name on more than one occasion from its members' fierce determination to stand strong in the face of adversity, to defend their homeland and protect their young, and to endure the hardships of the land. More than a few would-be invaders have been surprised by the unwavering determination of their strongheart foes. Strongheart halflings prefer to dress in simple garb suitable for working in the fields or laboring in the city. A male strongheart typically wears loose pants stuffed inside stout work boots, with a sleeveless leather lace-up vest over a simple linen shirt. A female usually prefers a peasant dress, often with an apron, and a simple cap beneath which to tuck her hair. During inclement weather, a halfling of either gender wears a light cloak to keep out the damp. In addition, a typical strongheart takes along a good walking stick wherever she goes. Economy The halflings of Luiren live a happy-go-lucky lifestyle that suits them well but causes some misunderstandings with other races. Teamwork is a major component of hin society, and just about every halfling worth his salt pitches in to help with whatever community project is at hand. The Small Folk have an innate understanding of the fact that no individual can get much done without cooperation from his fellows. One unique aspect of Luiren's culture is the halflings' occasional desire to uproot themselves and relocate. A family might suddenly decide to move to another part of the same town, or even to a different city. Families often exchange the intensity of life in an urban center for the rural quiet of farm life, or vice versa. Such a relocation can occur several times in a halfling's life, and someone moves at least once per tenday in any sizable community. When a halfling moves, all his possessions are left behind - furniture, food, clothing, and even his job. All the neighbors pitch in to throw a special kind of going-away party, wherein everyone helps clean up the property to get it ready for the next tenants. The house does not stay empty for long, because whenever a hin family moves away, another soon arrives. At any given time, a certain percentage of the abodes in any locale are vacant and waiting for new occupaiits. Families visiting a town for the first time might spend a day or two checking out the vacancies before deciding which place (and furniture, and clothing, and job) are right.for them. Outsiders find this behavior more than a little odd, but to the hin, it's as natural as a rainbow after rain.